Why Did The Mebane Foundation Endow Charlotte With $23 Million? “Campus Vibes.”
By WILLS CITTY
When the Mebane Foundation, a North Carolina nonprofit organization and stalwart in early literacy, sought education leaders to continue its legacy, it conducted a statewide search and believed in the direction of the Cato College of Education. The result is an endowment of up to $23 million dollars, one of the largest in UNC Charlotte’s history, to establish the Mebane Early Literacy Center, a future hub for literacy education in North Carolina and beyond.
“Many ask me, ‘Why Charlotte?’ And my answer is, the campus has a vibe,” said Larry Colbourne, president of the Mebane Foundation. “When we arrived here, we immediately felt like great things were about to happen here. It’s a building, and it’s Mebane Hall, and that is really exciting. But it’s what goes on between these four walls that matters. Like Allen [Mebane], we must always be disruptors, we must always be innovators,” Colbourne added, speaking at the ceremony for the newly named Mebane Hall, home of the Cato College of Education, in honor of the gift.
Primary in the center’s philosophy is its dedication to understanding and implementing evidence-based practices and research-driven methods in literacy instruction. Through collaboration with schools, community organizations and academic researchers, the Mebane Early Literacy Center will serve as a catalyst for enhancing the understanding and delivery of how children learn to read and how students at all ability levels can be provided what they need to get there.
The center’s interdisciplinary approach underscores the Cato College of Education’s commitment to leading collaboration across diverse fields of study. By connecting expertise from faculty members in education, psychology, linguistics, and other disciplines, the center will facilitate dialogue and knowledge exchange to address complex challenges in early literacy education.